Book Corner: Yearbook Afghanistan

Kyleigh Kuhn has philanthropy in her genes. The San Francisco native's parents launched non-profit Roots of Peace in 1997 — which funds sustainable farming and schools in Afghanistan — and she began working with the organziation as early as age 13, which also marked her first trip to the region marred with years of political unrest. "50% of population in Afghanistan is under the age of 14, so we decided to build schools in Afghanistan," Kuhn explains, "the idea was to provide the students with the opportunity to both remain in solidarity with their own school and provide them with an education, and in turn, a better future." Kuhn recently released a new arresting photo tome, "Yearbook Afghanistan" (with imagery by Ruvan Wijesooriya) that documents the people, from teachers to students, of a school in Mir Bacha Kot, north of Kabul. "We've been welcomed in communities, because we build schools where they've been requested, they want us there."

The book will be sold at fashion mecca Opening Ceremony, which Kuhn saw as a perfect parallel. "Opening Ceremony is a great fit because the book is kind of playful and interesting but is also a very grounded and serious thing." All proceeds from "Yearbook Afghanistan" ($66) go directly to Roots of Peace.